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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26758777">take a bite</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klaroline/pseuds/Klaroline'>Klaroline</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Smallville</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Implied Sexual Content, Tess has a crush, Unresolved Sexual Tension</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:14:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>866</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26758777</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klaroline/pseuds/Klaroline</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tess Mercer doesn't have crushes. Lois' mere existence challenges that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lois Lane/Tess Mercer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>take a bite</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Apparently I'm only capable of publishing stuff once a year. Tragic. I finished an old WIP cause it seems I still have lots of feelings about Lois and Tess so... (I may be the only one still thinking about them but Oh Well)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tess Mercer doesn't have crushes. If someone suggested the idea, it would find its way to the trash as quickly as that one story about a rogue raccoon who somehow managed to hot-wire a truck and crash it into a fountain. Rogue raccoons and </span>
  <span>The Daily Planet </span>
  <span>do not mix, much in the same way that Tess and crushes don't.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which is why her- her what?- her </span>
  <em>
    <span>interest</span>
  </em>
  <span> in Lois Lane is cumbersome and ridiculous. She's frustrating, infuriating, and the amount of lawsuits Tess has had to dodge on her behalf would be quite impressive if it wasn’t quite so annoying. Not to mention her texts are riddled with enough spelling mistakes to frustrate the editors to tears (Tess knows it’s because she’s too enthusiastic while typing, and hates that she knows that). And yet, knowing all these things, when Lane returns from her wild escapades of exposing politicians, CEOs, and occasionally a raccoon or two, Tess has to actively stop herself from smiling at Lois' rendition of the events. She’s very expressive, that’s all it is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So it's becoming somewhat of a problem. A small one, but it's enough to throw her off her rhythm. She purposefully drops double entendres that make Lois go uncharacteristically quiet for a second before she retaliates; comments that would make human resources slap her wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking about it, virtually every single one of their interactions would be a human resources nightmare. And, of course, once Lois catches on to the fact that Tess uses those comments to shut her up (well, it's part of the reason), she starts playing as well. Tess swears Lois' shirt was buttoned up further before she entered her office. She leans over Tess' desk and drops her latest article in front of her. When Tess' eyes dart down to her cleavage- it's involuntary, it really is- Lois can't fully repress a satisfied smirk. Frankly, she may not have tried to repress it at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>, maybe she has a dream or two that involve Lane kneeling, bending, straddling- too many variations made up by her own traitorous mind. Yes, that damned maid uniform makes an appearance at some point. Sue her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So the air between them charges to a point where even Kent notices, and it's almost pathetic, she admits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tension reaching some type of culmination and then crashing down is probably inevitable. Tess only has so much patience, after all. After a while her heart reacts to Lois mere appearance, and really, it's all a bit too Pavlovian.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe it's the way Lois' hair is curled that day, maybe it's the way she smiles when she drops the pile of papers on Tess' desk, or maybe Tess' resolve had been chipped away slowly until the only thing that remained was a small pebble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever the reason, the end result is the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lois is just about to step out the open door when Tess speaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lane."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She halts and turns back, an eyebrow raised in silent questioning. Tess stands up and walks across the room to stop in front of Lois.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is something wrong?" Lois tilts her head up defiantly and pushes the door shut behind herself. Tess smirks and stalks further forward, causing Lois to step back until her back bumps the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I would just like to discuss your article." Tess relishes in the small height advantage she has just a bit too much, courtesy of her slightly taller heels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lois grins confidently, and straightens her back. Meaning her back leaves the door, and her face ends up closer than Tess was fully prepared for. "That's interesting, considering you haven't looked at it yet."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have very good instincts." Tess’ voice wavers so slightly, it shouldn’t be perceivable, but judging by the way Lane’s grin adopts a teasing quality it has definitely been perceived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you do.” Lois steps closer, and it’s Tess’ turn to take half a step back. She can feel her mask of confident amusement beginning to fail, despite her best efforts. Her mind helpfully provides her with select snippets from her dreams (there may have been more than one or two).<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lois’ hand reaches out and- “Miss Mercer?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her head snaps up in attention, glaring at- Kent- of course- in the doorway. Lois turns and happily greets her desk partner. As if Tess hadn’t just been about to give human resources a new nightmare of a situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” She snaps, she can’t help it, but luckily it’s not exactly unusual behavior for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kent stammers for a second before Lois takes pity on him. “Don’t worry, Smallville, I was just leaving.” She glances back towards Tess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ll find my work incredibly satisfying.” She smiles sweetly. “Miss Mercer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The metaphorical pebble of resolve cracks under Tess’ heel. The urge to have her say those words under... </span>
  <em>
    <span>different circumstances-</span>
  </em>
  <span> is embarrassingly intense. Again, her mind helpfully provides more words she would like to hear spill out of Lane's mouth.<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure we’ll find the time to discuss just how satisfying I find it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lane grins again and - oh - Tess is certainly metaphorically fucked, but with some luck it will soon be literal as well.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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